Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-11
TnESTRANDED RHEIN
YHE wYANoxE AND RICHMOND 10
iHS RlscUR
The German Captain Very stubborn
Passengers 1atea OF aud Brought
20 koIfolk, &c.
Icorr.ponaeOce Of ,hc Richmond Dispatch


NORFOLK, March 10. 1887.
The Old Dominion steamship Wya-
nokc arrived here this morning at 2:30
O'Clock from the scene of the stranded
German steamer Rhein ut Hog island,
bringing forty-six men, women, and
children, taken from the stranded steam
or. In an interview with Captain John
q. Hulphers, commanding the WA
noke. he stated: Yesterday morning
at 1890 o'clock while coming down
the coast he sighted large steam.
ship ashore on Hog-island bar and
bore down upon her. The dis
tressod vessel proved to be the Rhein.
from Bremen to Baltimore. Went IN
as close as the safety of his ship
would allow, end anchored in four and
a half fathoms Of water. Tried TO COM
municate with the captain of the Rheln,
but nv efforts were unavailiug, and he
did not respond. Found the Old Do
minion steamship Richmond on the
SPOT. and that she had been at work
irving TO haul the Rhein off and had
parted several hawsers. The Richmond
had been there since the forenoon of
Tuesday, and had tried to getthe passen-
gers off when the water was smooth,
but the captain of the stranded ship
had refused to make the transfer, being
under the impression that he would
work off the bar. Heavy cables were then
got ready on the Wyanoke, and every
preparation made to assist in hauling
the ship of, but there was no applica-
ton or special interest manifested by
the captain of the Rhein in the matter,
and nothing was done. 1t was impos-
sible for the Wyanoke 10 attempt TO go
alongside without imperilling the ship
and the safety of those on board, as
there were breakers all around. The
captain OF the Rhein would only com
municate with the mate of the Rich
mond, and through him l sent word
that the Wyanoke could not stand by
any longer unless he transferred the
passengers. He then consented to
transfer the passengers, and soon after
loosened one life-boat and sent fourteen
immigrants on board the Richmond,
taking about an hour and quarter to
make the trip. Mate Leyland took
charge of the boat from the Wyanoke,
and made two round-trips in one hour
and ten minutes. The boats of the
Richmond also made trips to the strand
ed ship. Forty-six men, women, and
children were transferred to the Wy
anoke and more than that number to
the Richmond, bound for Newport
News. The sea was then so rough that
the passengers had to be dashed with
ropes and hoisted into the ships and the
boats towed by the tug Slater. The
weather had begun to look bad, and as
the wrecking-tug Slater had arrived
and night was at band the Wyanoke
left at 8 o'clock for Norfolk and the
Richmond left later in the night.
Captain Hulphers said he did think
the ship was very hard aground, and
after the Slater got her cables out aud
commenced work he could see that the
Rhein had commenced to slew around
and roll when she worked her prOpel-
Ter. The wrecking-steamer Victoria
Ped was expected during the night.
There were 800 Storage passengers on
board the Rhein, but no cabin passen-
gers.
When the Wyanoke left for Rich
mond at IL o'clock to-day the rescued
passengers were sent to Colonel Will
liam Lamb, the German Consul, and
when the others come over from New
port News on the Richmond this after
noon all will be forwarded to Baltimore
on the Bay Line. Where the Rhein
was stranded is about three miles from
the shore, and the liie-saving station
can do nothing whatever. The passen-
gers brought here are all Germans,
Rohemians, ETC., and are profuse IN
their thanks at the kind treatment re-
ceived at the hands of Captain Hulphers
and Mate Leylanl. They have no
baggage, the captain of the Rhein
having forbid their taking any from the
chip.